An eye fundus camera generally has an observing optical system for illuminating and observing the eye fundus, together with a photographic optical system for photographing the eye fundus. A photograph of the eye fundus is taken after the processes of selecting the portion of the fundus to be photographed and focusing by the use of the observing optical system.
Observation of the eye fundus should sometimes be made from various points of view, or by a number of clinicians other than the photographer. A viewfinder enables individual observation of the eye fundus. However, it is sometimes preferable to have means, such as a display tube, which enables simultaneous observation of the eye fundus by all the clinicians. On the other hand, various photographs, such as color photographs and monochromatic photographs, of the fundus of an eye are sometimes required.
However, prior art eye fundus cameras are generally designed to enable a single way of observation and taking only a little number of kinds of photograph. Prior art eye fundus cameras which enable all of the above mentioned ways of observation and kinds of photograph are too large and too cumbersome to operate.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an eye fundus camera which is easy to operate and which includes a first and a second apparatus for observing and/or photographing, and in which by means of selection or changeover switches a desired mode of operation of the camera can be selected out of the following three modes of operation: a first mode of operation in which the first apparatus is used for both observation and photographing; a second mode of operation in which the first apparatus is used for individual observation, while the second for photographing; and third mode of operation in which the first apparatus is used for photographing, while the second for observation either individual or simultaneous.